The Battalion V IE WPOINT A&M dumping responsibility for community waste disposal It isn’t easy getting separate governmen tal agencies to work together. Each agency has its own interests to pursue and protect and sometimes they are reluctant to try new and/or different things. This is partially the case with the prop osed feasibility and site studies for a waste recovery facility in Brazos County. The three government entities involved are Bryan, College Station and Texas A&M University. But, by refusing to commit the Universi ty for a site study that would cost it $3,000, University officials have failed to take a re sponsible role in this area. If nothing else, this is good faith money to show an honest desire to see something as important and useful as a waste recovery facility in Brazos County. The recovery facility. College Station City Manager North Bardell said, would require 150 to 200 tons of garbage a day to be economically feasible. But without the University, this would be impossible. Thus, by declining support. University officials have jeopardized the project for others concerned and forced them to continue disposing of waste in land fills. Not only are landfills useless for any thing but disposing of waste, but they re quire daily monitoring for health and safety hazards. And for a (jualified engineer to take the soil and clay samples at the site daily and for lab technicians to get the results costs the city about $20,000 a year. In contrast, the proposed waste recovery facility woidd allow the three governmental entities a means of reducing what goes into existing landfills by 85 percent, and it could produce steam — steam which the Univer sity could use to heat and cool buildings on the west campus. The steam could also be sold to industrial markets, which means the system would be able to supply the agencies with an asset instead of a deficit. However, the studies would determine if industrial markets, other than the University, exist for the steam, Bardell said. The Bryan and College Station city coun cils, on Nov. 23, approved participation in the $9,0(X) site study, with the understand ing that the University also would partici pate. If a suitable site is selected, the three entities then would decide whether to par ticipate in the $50,000 feasibility study. But, as it stands now, the University is not participating. As is typical with bureaucracies, everything is channeled from the bottom upward. If someone on a lower level doesn’t want to burden the “big guys” at the top with an idea or project plan, it just stops. Such is the case with the site study and the University. However, University Vice President for Business Affairs Howard Vestal said if the cities come up with a site suitable to the University, he then reserves the right for the University to participate in the feasibil ity study. But, finding a suitable site seems unlike ly, since Bardell says the site study will probably die without the support of the University. There is no point in Bryan and College Station paying for either of the studies if the University isn’t willing to participate. College Station Mayor Gary Halter said waste recovery facilities have failed in other parts of the country because enough gar bage couldn’t be generated to supply the facility and/or there were no industrial mar kets for the steam. But, Bryan-College Station probably will never know because the University won’t act responsibly in respect to the com munities’ needs. Texas A&M has every thing to gain and only $3,000 to lose by participating in the site study. It’s worth the risk. It s your turn Aggie Christmas too hot for Yankee Editor: I love the chimes of the MSC. They send me off in sweet reverie. To Christmas, and home, and holidays I’ve gone away, as I sit in a daze. In his usual way, my prof rambles on, But the sound of the chimes — and my mind is gone. He’s talking of vectors and lines parallel, but my ears strain for the sound of the bell. At last ... class over ... I walk outside, my mind all a-spin with Noel and Yuletide. But then what to wondering eyes should appear? No, not Santa, nor even one tiny reindeer. Not icicles, sleighbells nor snow, Not Frosty the Snowman, but no. It’s hot and sunny, and birds are singing. While over the bells “White Christmas” is ringing. That “Winter-wonderland” sounds great. But seems that winter won’t come this state. The tunes tell of Jack Frost, and chestnuts roasting. But at eighty degrees it’s me that’s toasting. The song tells me that I’d better not frown ‘Cause Santa Claus soon will be coming to town. But I cringe at the thought — it’s this I have feared. That Santa — in red woolen suit and a beard While flying down here on his generous quest. Might suffer heat-stroke and go to his rest. Please don’t mistake what I mean to say; Christmas itself is a wonderful day. Christ is more precious than all that’s on earth, and I love celebrating the day of His birth. I like the carols — the things that they say, Of peace, angels, family, and Christmas day. But this summer weather has just got to go. I want frost on the window, cold winds, and snow. Could be the Yankee blood that flows through my veins, But some things don’t seem right with those Christmas refrains. Somehow in my mind, shorts, T-shirts and thongs Don’t seem proper attire with these wintry songs. My cheeks should be rosy from air crisp and chilly, A sunburn in December just seems rather silly. If you native Texans don’t agree with my poem, Don’t write to the Batt, saying “Yankee go home” When finals are over I’ll split this South Texas scene With its hot blazing sun, and grass strangely green Now I’ll just “sweat it out,” and wait in disgust Soon I’ll take to the road — “North Dakota, or Bust.” Homesick Aggie Memories of Christmas Editor: Here it is, Christmas time again. Time for those last minute tests that all your teachers are giving. And don’t forget finals — you remember — the ones you’re count ing on to bring your grades up. Also, have you decided what to get your roommate for Christmas? Not much you can buy for under three dollars these days. You just don’t have any reason to feel very joyous, do you? Well, forget about all your problems for a moment and think back to your very best Christmas ever. Perhaps one of the reasons we don’t appreciate the holiday is because we have yet to learn the secret of capturing that special magic of Christmas past. It’s so easy to overlook the pleasures of the Yuletide season, especially at college. Remember the last time you went caroling? Only one young couple came to the door; yet did you notice the small face peeping out of the window across the street? I bet you missed the way his eyes lit up as he recognized the songs, or the way he sang along when you sang “Silent Night.” And can you recall the Christmas that your sister said there wasn’t a Santa Claus? You stayed awake as long as you could just to prove her wrong; but you went to sleep with a smile on you face because you had heard the distant sound of sleighbells and the whisper of a sled as it flew across the sky. Or what about the first time you heard the Christmas story? Do you remember the way you imagined that you were in the stable with Mary and Joseph? You could almost hear the angels singing to the new born baby. Think back to how awed you were when they retold how the wisemen came bringing gifts from afar. You weren’t sure exactly what frankincense was, but it sure sounded awfully impressive. Maybe it isn’t so hard to capture the Christmas spirit after all. It should be a time of joy, not of misgiving. So the next time you start to lose the special feeling, put on one of your old Christmas albums, prop your feet up, and remember ... Kathleen O’Reilly ‘85 Briggs Hall Slouch By Jim Earl it INC CO' er Secreta idder. . iEMAN i.m. in 1 l DENT i: 30p.m- at ease bmu ramur i in 159 K AS STU iy mher w 14 Harrinj TIC AN leaker froi *H0LIC 10 UN on the MIC I t at the CHRIS . Claus : Film s ality’ at il Everyo “This is it, George, only one more week to go! This is wh you open up, pull out all the stops, burn the midnight oil. er rip, and ... George? ... George?” The deficit s red glan budgets bursting in ai raker, joi m noon nist. wil $ A&N p.m. i EGE ike will •EAST 30 By DICK WEST United Press International WASHINGTON — By coincidence, the Reagan administration’s first arms limita tion talks with the Soviets began in Geneva at a time the president was locked in a budget battle with Congress back home. One point of dispute in the latter nego tiations concerns a proposed ceiling on the number of continuing resolutions with which Congress could bombard the White House during a given fiscal year. It is the basic White House position that Congress is committed to the large “budget-busting” types of resolutions that carry heavy payloads and can blast huge holes in federal frugality. To neutralize these resolutions, the White House proposes to deploy a compa rable number of RR veto warheads that are relatively override-proof. Meanwhile, Congress, for its part, insists the shutdown threat to non-essential gov ernment programs also must be removed before there can be true parity. As you can see, the flash points are ex tremely complicated, but I shall try to sim plify them with this clarifying catechism: Q. Why are the legislative pieces in volved in the talks called “continuing re solutions?” A. Because they continue to test whether the president is more resolved than Con gress. Q. When will the next test occur? A. The next test is scheduled for Dec. 15. That is when the continuing resolution pas sed Nov. 22 to replace the one passed Nov. 20, which replaced the one passed Sept. 30, expires. Q. How did we get into anyhow? A. If the fiscal year ends before! lar appropriation bills areapprovi pened Sept. 30, then a continuini tion is passed to make stopgap if available. p.m. a ipe. GA FI icetin at 6 30 p.m.